


working title

by euphoricparoxysm, Sweetnite



Series: Kids These Days [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Aquariums, Art, Attempt at Humor, Best Friends, Bromance, Bullying, Ceramics, Coming Out, Digital Art, Digital Painting, Drama & Romance, Drug Use, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay, Gay disaster, High School, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Internalized Homophobia, Jealousy, Korean Characters, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Native American Character(s), Painting, Rainbows, Recreational Drug Use, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Rowing, Shrimp Chips, Skateboarding, Strangers to Lovers, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Unrequited Love, Violins, coxswain, crew - Freeform, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-09-08 04:11:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20306362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphoricparoxysm/pseuds/euphoricparoxysm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetnite/pseuds/Sweetnite
Summary: “Your favorite ice cream flavor?” I stopped walking, pointed up and welcomed Alika to my favorite restaurant I’ve been to since I’ve moved.“Chocolate.”“Me too.”





	1. Prologue:

_ Alika _

My breathing was hard. There was no escaping this. Trapped in this dark box which was Aidan Reeves car. No one would know what happened here and no one would believe me. Out of nowhere, two hands pinned me down on the seat and a huge body was atop of me. I began kicking and screaming until a hand closed my mouth shut. Then I remembered Daniel who doesn’t like big crowds would probably go outside instead of being in the hot gym. I struggled as Aidan’s mouth glided up my neck. Still, I tried screaming for help in hope for of Daniel or anyone hearing me. No one would ever notice my screaming in this big black Ford F-150. I fought against Aidan’s grip and his knees pushed my legs apart and his hands pushed up my skirt. I heard a rip of fabric. Mom would be so mad I had to do so much to get this dress. This would be the end of me, dad and mom wouldn’t care about this they had never listened to any of my problems they had never cared. I finally got loose of his grip and reached for the door. Locked. I screamed and pounded on the car windows and hoped for anyone to hear me. Maybe Daniel would never come out of anger for me choosing Aidan over him. Well, he chose Lyla but right now isn’t the time to think about that. I pulled up the lock on the door and tumbled out of the car falling on my elbows and knees but I had to run even in these stupid heels. I rounded the corner and found Daniel staring wide-eyed at my torn dress and scraped knees. 

“Daniel.”

_ Daehyun _

My boutonniere is poking me in the chest, but that’s the least uncomfortable part of tonight. The air was so thick, you could slice it with a knife. It was too hot and crowded for my taste. I’ve been looking for Alika the whole time, but every time I catch a glance, I’m pulled in five other directions by Lyla and her friends. 

“Daniel, I’ll be right back. I’m running to the bathroom,” Lyla whispered in my ear and just like that she was gone in the mass of people. 

I started towards the back doors for some fresh air and quiet, hoping I’d find Alika. The temperature dropped and I could finally breathe as I left the gym. I leaned up against the wall and shut my eyes. I would kill to be with Alika, curled up in a booth at Sunny’s, sipping double chocolate milkshakes while discussing the newest episode of Stranger Things.

I turned to head in, scared Lyla would be back and searching for me. I pulled on the door but it was locked and nobody could hear me over the noise. I kicked it in frustration and sat down on the parking stop.

I wanted to go home and eat the leftover mandu eomma left in the refrigerator. I would watch the next episode without Alika, who chose Aidan over me. Eomma and appa would be sleeping and Jin Soo would threaten to get me punished by them for coming home early without Lyla’s parents dropping me off and not answering their calls. I sighed and laid my head against the brick wall. If only Alika were here, I wouldn’t be stuck outside the gym, exhausted and hungry. 

The doors opened and hit me in the back. I rubbed my spine which was throbbing in pain. Lyla was peeking over my shoulder and tugging on my hand to bring me back inside. 

“Come on Dan, I’ve been looking for you! I came back from the bathroom and you weren’t with Emily and Brian,” she complained and pouted when I resisted. 

I stood up and shook my head, “I think I’m gonna head out, Lyla. Thanks for bringing me, I had fun. My mom is probably at home waiting for me. Thanks again, for everything.” 

I gave Lyla a friendly hug and waved goodbye. Spinning on my heel, I saw Alika running towards me, scraped up and crying. 

“Alika.”


	2. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not beta read so beware of our horrible spelling and grammar

_Alika_

This year would be better. With my overall heightened confidence, my grades would be higher than ever. This summer was terrible there was no going to see friends or staying up late it was just me watching mom and dad argue all night. I couldn’t wait to see Lyla. I had promised her I would see her over the summer before I knew there would be none of that. 

I had gotten an email stating that there would be a new kid coming this year, hopefully someone that was more interesting that everyone here, but I have enough friends as of now. I’m ready to face the judgemental crowd of Brighton Falls. I always skated to school on days like this. As I rolled down the road I saw some fancy car sped down the road toward school leaving me in the dust. I approached the entrance seeing the wretched building I dreaded and seeing familiar faces. 

“Alika where have you been, I was waiting to see you over the summer.” Lyla ran towards me with that awful irritated look on her face.

“Sorry Ly but my parents wouldn’t let me do anything.” It was the truth, mom did want me to go anywhere with anyone. She just wanted me to clean and do chores all summer. 

More and more people started crowding around Lyla and me, us being the two most popular girls in our grade and maybe even the school. As a big black truck revved down the road and into the parking lot, it was Aidan Reeves. The “hottest” guy in school. He was one year older than me but always hounded Lyla and I. 

I spotted a boy who was wearing clothes that looked much too formal for school glance at me and hurry away. What was his problem? Well, I didn’t need any of this right now. I headed through the crowded hallways to class where I sat in my usual spot back right. So many girls crowded around my desk talking about what they had done this summer. What was I supposed to contribute to this conversation I hadn’t done anything all summer? 

“Alika did you change your hair”, said Rebecca a tall blond who stood four inches taller than me. 

“No, it’s the same as it always is,” I responded with that fake charm I had developed to please people that I didn’t like so much. 

My long hair that went down to my shoulders was something every girl in this school had said they’d always wanted,and envied me for it. Some of these girls were my friends and some were just plain out fake. The bell rang and everyone went to their seats and the swarm of girls surrounding my desk now dispersed. I thought back to that email from the principal about there being a new kid. Who would it be, and would we be friends? 

_Daehyun_

Here’s to another lost year. No friends, no familiar faces. Eomma promises me this will be our last big move, but I don’t believe her. Ever since I was five and Jin Soo was seven, we’d been moving every year for appa’s work. He swears he’s already started his business here in Brighton Falls but just like eomma, he’s lied every year. 

Eomma folded my new, gray corduroys and freshly ironed white polo and placed them at the foot of my bed. I put them on and got a clean pair of socks from my drawer. She put my dress shoes under my bed next to my sneakers. Sneakers or dress shoes? 

She left a note with them reading:

“ Dear Dae Hyun,  
I left with appa to meet with the building owner. We might actually get the space!  
Sorry we, aren’t there for your first day but Jin is giving you a ride. Bring your violin and remember your clothes for rowing after school.  
P.S.- Wear the sneakers so you don’t have to change later.  
Love, eomma”

I guess eomma made the decision for me. I cleaned the grime off of my glasses and gelled my hair down like appa does. I hope we have lockers at this school. The last one didn’t have lockers and my violin was stolen. Jin’s horn was honking and probably waking up the neighbors so I ran out the door and hopped in the passenger seat.

“You ready little brother?” He laughed watching me struggled to find the seat belt buckle. 

“Not really, but I’d rather not be late so please start driving, Jin.” I huffed and hugged my violin case tight to my chest.

As we got out of the car, Jin immediately ran up to a group of guys he met over the summer at soccer. They all bro-hugged and cheered at his arrival. Sometimes I wished I was Jin, but I know eomma and appa are glad I'm more focused on school than he is.

I kept my head down for the most part as I walked in. Everyone was wearing sweats and loose clothing, similar to the style of the people from the school we went to in California. I looked out of place almost as much as I felt out of place. A very small girl, whom I’m pretty sure was hit by the dust the car kicked up, looked at me but continued walking hastily into the building.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sadly short :(

_Alika_

Being at school was better than sitting sitting home in the heat. I figured it out, this new kid was the one that kept glancing at me in the hallways. Aidan noticed it after a while and tried to intimidate the poor kid with his looks. Until I told him to stop and go away. He was unbearable.

I always loved art, my mother being an artist herself had taught me something’s when I was younger. I found that I had art class with the tall boy who looked Korean mixed with something else. He must have been the new kid because I’d never seen him before. I felt his eyes on me and only me. I always sat closest to the paints of course because painting is my thing, it’s what I would always be best at. Someone had told me that I looked at each paint differently considering the way they would compliment each other. 

The boy who I had to yet to find out his name sat closest to the ceramics. And boy if this kid kept staring, Aidan would kill him and I would have to find a way to avoid that. Still, I focused on the task at hand, painting. The one escape I have from abuse, from judgement, from this world. 

_Daehyun_

I had a few classes with the small girl I saw walking in the building. She looked familiar, she looked kind. Her smile was welcoming and even though she wouldn't even give me the time of day, I felt like we could be friends. I guess I was staring throughout the day, because a very tall, very scary looking older boy came up to me, and glared until I shook with fear. I had art with the girl, she seemed to be intrigued with me. She sat at the table closest to the watercolors and acrylics while I sat over by the ceramics, my specialty. I could tell from little observation that she'd already claimed the cool color paints on her left, right under the top shelf. I could tell, because the way she looked at them was the same way I was looking at the pottery wheels behind me; anxious to use but comforted by their presence.


	4. Chapter 3

_Alika_

School was amazing. If you didn’t catch that I was being sarcastic. Aidan wouldn’t dare leave me alone with this new kid in school. It came to the point where I had to find a way to escape from him each time I entered the hallway, which wasn’t making anything better. But every time I encountered this kid I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him which was the same for him most likely. Everytime we made eye contact we both quickly looked away immediately. Aidan was gonna be pissed, but since when did I care what Aidan thought? We’d never hooked up or anything, we weren’t even a couple. 

I couldn’t wait to get out of school and go to crew. It was the one place where I could actually be myself and not be judged. Getting to crew on time was always a problem. I had to skate there, mom or dad would never pick me up. Aidan always offered to drive me but I always declined. So I started skating, I had already changed into more athletic clothes during gym so I was ready. I rolled down the road and the fancy car that had pick up dust on me in the morning sped past me again. I wondered who it was driving a car like that in this neighborhood. 

I couldn’t wait to get to crew. I would see all of my real friends. Lyla wasn’t my real friend because, well she’s fake. There I said it. She was always complaining about how she was “depressed” because no guys liked her “that way”. I was tired of it because I knew what depression felt like. I had been dealing with depression since mom had stopped caring which may have been eight years ago. My grandma was the only one that really cared anymore. But I never let anyone see it, in fear of rumors being spread.

_Daehyun_

I made it through the day without too much confrontation and conversation. I liked it that way. If I stay detached, it'll hurt less when eomma and appa make us leave again. Appa used to row when he was younger but had to stop because of back problems. They signed me up before even asking me and I guess I have to go along. 

“Jin?” I asked quietly into the phone.

“I’ll be there, I’ll be there just wait a second, Hyun.” The call ended and I leaned up against the hood of his car.

Minutes later, Jin walked over to the car with a girl. She had long, wavy brown hair that suited her bright, blue eyes well. She stood a couple inches shorter than Jin and was wearing large sunglasses that I decided I didn't like. They had their arms around each other tightly and looked, well, perfect. Jin was always the ladies man, always getting girlfriends and going to parties with them. As a senior, I assumed he was going to take her to homecoming, which was huge for the upperclassmen. Us sophomores had a smaller, less significant dance of our own for homecoming but I knew I wouldn't be taking part in that considering I have no friends here and nobody would be interested in going with me. Even though people say you can go stag, it's not cool and everyone knows it. 

“Sofia, this is my little brother, Daniel.” Jin gestured to me and I jumped up from the hood and shook her hand kindly. She smiled at me and I felt bad for judging her sunglasses moments before. 

“Hi, I'm Sofia, but my friends call me Fia.” She flashed her abnormally white smile at me and then walked to the passenger door.

“Uh, Jin? Aren't you going to drive me to rowing?” I awkwardly asked.

Sofia, already getting into the passenger seat, turned her head towards Jin and said, “Jin? You told me your name was John…”

She reached for the unlocking button of the car door and Jin immediately grabbed her shoulder and sat her back down.

“My Korean name, is Jin Soo, Daniel, who’s actually named Daehyun, calls me Jin and I usually call him Hyun, but since we’re here in a very Americanized community, I decided to go by John instead.” He pleaded with her. 

“Ok, but you could've told me your real name. I like the name Jin. Can I call you that instead?” She asked Jin and I yanked open the door so hard it shook the car.

“Call him what you want, but he's driving me somewhere right now. Hurry Jin, I'm not going to be late on my first day.” I huffed and leaned back into my seat. 

He started up the car and sped out of the parking lot. Sofia was humming to the music on the radio, none of which I liked. She and Jin held hands across the middle console and I wanted to gag. It's not that I mind Jin finding a girlfriend or liking a girl, it's the fact that they literally met today and already think they know each other enough to date one another. It's just not possible to like someone from only knowing them one day. Love at first sight is bullshit and everyone knows it.


End file.
